Sema3A is a secretory protein that is composed of an Ig-like (immunoglobulin-like) C2-type domain, a PSI domain and a Sema domain, and it has been known to induce associated signaling by binding to NRP1 and PLXNA1.
Also, it has been reported that a high level of Sema3A specific carcinoma has a high growth rate of cancer cells, increases cancer cell migration, promotes cancer metastasis, and has poor prognosis.
Currently, no anti-cancer agent that inhibits Sema3A has been reported as an anti-cancer target, thus an anti-Sema3A antibody that inhibits the associated signaling by neutralizing the Sema3A may be a new anti-cancer treatment strategy.
Antibodies that inhibit Sema3A can be used as therapeutic agents for anti-cancer therapy such as glioblastoma, pancreatic cancer and liver cancer which are highly expressed in Sema3A.
Further, Sema3A is a factor which plays an important role in the migration of tumor-associated macrophage (AM) that is involved in the growth of cancer, and it is expected that the antibodies against Sema3A would exhibit anti-tumor effects in a variety of cancers.
Sema3A is considered as a therapeutic target for diabetic retinopathy, autoimmune arthritis, neuropathic pain or osteoporosis, and it can be used as therapeutic agents in many associated diseases in addition to anti-cancer therapeutic agents.